


Rise From the Ashes

by faded_sPArkLeS



Series: mari leaves a toxic environment and finds sunshine [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Bashing, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Don't worry it gets better, F/M, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt/Comfort, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is Over Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Is So Done, Marinette gets her shit together, Sad with a Happy Ending, Supportive Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), The Author Regrets Nothing, Tired Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, akuma class is toxic af, idk dialogue, marinette leaves a toxic environment, this reads like a fanfic... wait
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faded_sPArkLeS/pseuds/faded_sPArkLeS
Summary: Marinette is tired. A simple high schooler should be happy and full of light, not carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.In which Marinette is tired of life so Tikki gives her support while also helping her throw her crush on Adrien off a skyscraper.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug (one sided), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki
Series: mari leaves a toxic environment and finds sunshine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899763
Comments: 22
Kudos: 303





	Rise From the Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Sorry in advance for the meh dialogue and bad fight scene. ;-;

The Parisian night was calm. 

The moon casted its silver glow upon the world and the stars twinkled in the sky.

A girl with midnight blue hair leaned against her balcony, simply resting and enjoying a quiet moment in her life.

To the stars, it seemed like she was content. 

They didn’t see how her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

They didn’t notice how her movements were sluggish, as if she was carrying an unimaginable burden.

The girl in question once had brilliant sapphire eyes that sparkled in the light, now they were absent of light and turned dull.

She heaved a sigh and fell back onto a chair.

Her broken eyes stared up into the sky as she wondered where it all went wrong.

One moment she was at the top of the world, surrounded by her friends. In the next, a lying viper snatched them all away.

Crystal tears ran down her pale face as she remembered how each one of her friends turned away. 

From friend to foe.

All it took was a couple of crocodile tears and empty promises.

The girl continued to sob, “Why was I not enough? Why did they throw me out like trash? Just… _why_? What did I do wrong? Why!?!? -” she brought her hands around herself, trying to hold herself together, “-I don’t know. I don’t know! Why ME of all people? I… I can’t do this anymore.”

A tiny red goddess watched from inside the room. 

She also cried for how unfair life was to her bugs. She was a goddess for goodness sake! Yet, she couldn’t do anything to help her suffering child. 

She vowed to give her holder the happiness she deserved.

* * *

Marinette’s week passed like a blur.

She truly didn’t have the energy to keep on going like this, but she endured.

“Hey Mari, will you babysit for me? Kay thanks! Bye!!!”

“Can you please make me a new dress, I’ve got a date with Ivan. Thanks!”

“Can you make me a dozen cupcakes?”

“Can you make a poster for me?”

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO LILA, SHE DID NOTHING WRONG”

“Milady, will you go on a date with me?”

“Can you make some pastries for us? Thanks!”

“Take the high road, I don’t want Lila to get akumatized.”

“Poor Lila. Marinette, you need to set a good example!”

“WE ARE MEANT TO BE, WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THAT!?!?”

“I’m sorry Marinette, I’m too old for this anymore. I have trust in you to be the new Guardian.”

“Mari can you-”

“Marinette, I need you to-”

“Marinette-”

“ _Marinette-”_

**_“Marinette-”_ **

* * *

And so Marinette cried.

Cried for all she had.

Cried for all she had lost.

Cried for the burdens she carried.

  
  


Marinette choked out a sob, “Tikki, I can’t do this. It’s too much for me.”

She bawled, “I need to be the perfect heroine Paris expects me to be. I need to be the reliable classmate my friends expect me to be. I need to be the rising fashion designer the world expects me to be. _I CAN’T. IT’S TOO MUCH!”_

Tikki hovered near her back, rubbing her paws in soft comforting motions.

Tentatively she spoke up, “Marinette, honestly I think you transfer schools or at least classes. You are in a toxic environment where expectations are piled onto you.”

“B-but, what about my friends!?” stuttered Marinette.

Tikki narrowed her eyes, “They left you and started to bully you on account of a stranger’s word. You didn’t even have a real friend until Alya. They expect so much from you and yet, they never even repaid you for anything!”

Marinette hiccupped, “Isn’t that what friends do for each other though?” 

“Mari, they are _using_ you! Friends support each other both ways. When has anyone one of your ‘friends’ lift a single finger to help you when you asked them to?-” Tikki huffed and crossed her paws, “-Half the time they don’t even ask if it’s okay with you!”

Marinette stuttered, trying to find an excuse, “B-but… but-”

“And don’t get me started with that mangy cat! He doesn’t respect your boundaries and keeps on pestering you even when you tell him to stop! Don’t you see how toxic everything is?”

Marinette’s eyes widen as she processed everything Tikki told her.

How long had this been going on? 

Is it really not my fault?

B-but they are my friends! They are good people…?

She frantically looked around her room, seeing Adrien’s face plastered everywhere. Suddenly, she felt very nauseous and sick at mere sight of her crush. 

Having her rose colored glasses ripped away, she started to realize how obsessed she was with Adrien.

As she stepped closer to one of the posters, the phrase, “Take the high road, Lila’s not hurting anyone” kept on ringing in her head. 

“Not hurting anyone!?!? She’s hurting me!”

Her eyes glinted with a wave of newfound anger as she methodically moved around her room, taking down all of the posters. 

Tikki perched on top of the monitor, nodding approvingly.

Marinette marveled at how empty her wall looked without all the posters. 

It felt… nice.

As if she was relieved from a strain she didn’t know she had been carrying.

She glanced over to her kwami and gave a genuine smile, “Time for a new start!”

Mari surveyed her room and slightly cringed as how pink everything was, “Hmm, maybe some plants? And future designs to put on my wall! Oh! Maybe some fairy lights would be good?”

As she continued to ramble, Tikki felt happiness overwhelming her. Her bug was going to be alright, everything was going to be fine.

By the end of the afternoon, they were both exhausted. 

The balcony now had pots of poppies, irises, and daffodils decorating it.

Marinette grinned, “Hey Tikki do you know about flower meaning?”

Tikki tilted her head in curiosity.

“Poppies mean peace, irises mean hope, and daffodils stand for rebirth.” 

Tikki chirped, “Wow! Then I bet you can take whatever life throws at you now!”

Marinette giggled and cradled Tikki in her hands, “Things are gonna be alright!”

However, the moment was ruined as they heard several screams and saw streams of fire in the air.

“Hawkmoth really doesn’t know the meaning of a vacation does he?” Marinette muttered.

After a nod from Tikki, Marinette shouted, “Tikki! Spots on!”

* * *

“MY NAME IS HOTHEAD AND I’M SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE MAKING ME ANGRY!” Hothead roared, shooting fire from his hands onto the surrounding buildings. 

“Chat Noir, quick! We need to rescue everyone in the building!”

“Milady, we should capture Hothead first, wouldn’t want him getting fired up for nothing.”

Ladybug dumbfoundedly stared at her partner, “EXCUSE ME??? There are people’s LIVES in danger here!”

Chat Noir shrugged, “Well your Miraculous cure makes everything purrfect again anyways.”

Feeling scandalized, Ladybug swung into the building, ignoring Chat’s shouts.

As she saved the people trapped inside, she couldn’t fathom her partner’s actions. Temporarily brushing off the issue, she swung to where Hothead was.

She perched on another building analyzing her opponent’s actions.

Ladybug pondered, “Well if his powers are fire, then we just need to dunk some water on him!”

Eyeing the Seine river, she grinned and turned to Chat to explain her plan.

Chat unenthusiastically shrugged and interrupted her.

“Yea milady, that's great and all but would you love to go on a date with me? My love burns for you, and only you. Would I have the pleasure of calling you mine?”

“CHAT! Can we discuss this later? We are kinda in the middle of a fight right now?”

Chat huffed, “Fine but you owe me a date!”

Ladybug groaned, “Can you just make him even angrier so that I can throw him in the river?”

Chat agreed and they made quick work of the akuma.

Ladybug threw her lucky charm into the air and shouted, “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” 

“Ahem, so about our date Milady?”

The pigtailed heroine repressed the urge to repeatedly slam her face into a brick wall and grimaced, “We need to talk. 9 o’clock at the top of the Eiffel Tower?”

Chat immediately brightened and sang, “So it’s a date then!”

“It’s _not_ a date!” Ladybug shouted as she swung off.

* * *

“UGHHH!!!! HOW CAN HE BE SO INFURIATING??? I JUST WANNA SKFLJSHFDAKJ!!”

Tikki blinked and thought to herself: _How… how did she even say that…?_

“HE JUST MAKES ME WANNA ARGHFSALGJLHF!!!”

Marinette took a calming breath, “Tikkiiiiiiii! Help meeeeee! What do I do? I’ve told him countless times to stop and he thinks _I’m playing hard to get_???”

She flopped onto her bed as Tikki patted her arm reassuringly. 

“Tikkiiiiii. And it’s not like I can just take away his miraculous!”

The kawmi in question gave her holder a blank stare and deadpanned, “Wow. It’s not like you _are_ the Guardian or anything.”

Marinette leaped up and squealed, “OHMYGOSH!! Tikki, you’re the best! What would I do without you! Now, to come up with a plan.”

* * *

“Chat we need to talk about your behavior.”

Chat Noir grinned, thinking he had finally been able to woo his lady.

His world came crashing down when he heard, “Listen Chat, you’ve been a great partner but is it alright if you don’t flirt with me? I don’t want any civilians getting hurt because we weren’t focusing on the akuma.”

Chat stammered, “B-but Milady! We are meant to be! Yin to Yang! WE’RE SOULMATES!”

Ladybug retaliated, “CHAT! How many times have I told you that that _isn’t_ how the Miraculous work!”

Chat stomped his foot on the ground and wined, “FINE! If you can’t accept my love for you, then I’ll give up my miraculous!”

Ladybug blinked: _Huh… I didn’t think it was going to be this easy._

Chat mistook Ladybug’s silence and grinned: _Of course Milady will choose me! After all, a Ladybug is nothing without a Black Cat._

Ladybug’s eyes shone with fake tears as she leaped up and grasped Chat’s right hand.

Thinking that she was actually confessing, Chat extended his arm. 

Ladybug smirked and in one fluid motion, yanked the ring off Chat’s hand with a simple, “Fine, and thank you!"

Ladybug stared at Chat Noir… no… Adrien.

Gathering her breath she stated, “I, Ladybug, find Adrien Agreste unworthy of the Black Cat Miraculous.”

Adrien scrambled up to his ex-partner, “You- you can’t just do that!” He made a feeble attempt to swipe at his ring. 

Ladybug simply dropped the ring into her yoyo and narrowed her eyes, “You don’t deserve the miraculous. I’ve told you countless times to stop flirting with me and you didn’t! You put countless innocent people in danger! What if I’m out of commission? What if my cure doesn’t work one day? YOU. ARE. UNWORTHY.”

All Adrien could do was gape at her. 

“Be glad that I’m even returning you to your home. I could’ve easily stranded you up here.”

Throughout the trip, Adrien was numb.

He wasn’t Chat Noir anymore.

He lost his freedom.

All he did was try to bring him and Ladybug together.

THEY WERE SOULMATES!

He wasn’t in the wrong here!

His lady was probably mad about something and would beg for his forgiveness in a couple of days.

He would wait for her.

They would get their happily ever after.

She would come back for him.

They would have a brilliant future together.

It was meant to be.

...Right?

* * *

Ladybug leaped into her room, detransforming into Marinette.

She grinned at her kawmi, “Well, that’s two matters solved! Thank goodness it’s the weekend, I don’t think I could’ve faced Adrien after what happened.”

“Then that means you have time tomorrow to tell your parents about what’s happening at school. Surely they won’t sit idly and let you get bullied!”

“That’s a great idea Tikki! Do you want to help me compile the evidence?”

“Gladly!”

And so on a bright Sunday morning, Marinette Dupain-Cheng went up to her parents, who were getting ready to open the bakery.

Sabine Cheng turned to her pride and joy, “Sweetie, is there something wrong?”

The holder of the Ladybug Miraculous faltered for a bit but gathered her courage and grinned like a feral wolf.

Marinette’s eyes glittered like a diamond, “I want to transfer schools.”


End file.
